Abducted Mother Of Two, Missing For More Than Three Weeks, Found Alive

Three weeks after being abducted while she was jogging, Sherri Papini, a 34-year-old mother of two from Shasta, Calif., was found alive Thursday.

Still bound with restraints, Papini was released by her captors on Thanksgiving Day and managed to flag down a passing vehicle near Interstate 5, nearly 140 miles from where she had last been seen in Redding, Calif.

She was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and soon thereafter, the weary mother was reunited with her family.

Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko appeared on Good Morning America Friday and spoke to Papini’s state after being recovered.

“Obviously she was emotional and quite upset, but elated to be freed, and so we were able to get some information from her,” Bosenko said. “Then in the days following this, we will be following up with her.”

“She is safe, in stable condition and receiving medical clearance at an undisclosed hospital,” he continued. “She has been reunited with her husband, Keith.”

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Her husband made the call to report her missing Nov. 2 after he came home from work to discover that she hadn’t picked up their young daughter and son from day care.

The kidnapping soon made national news and an aggressive manhunt was launched by the community. Word of her disappearance quickly spread on social media and volunteers launched searches to help find her.

According to KNVN-TV in Chico, Calif., a private group working with the family offered $100,000 to anyone with any information leading to Papini’s safe return.

The group, not associated with law enforcement, wanted to make it clear that authorities would not be involved in the arrangement, going as far to say that even a criminal with information on the abducted mother would be given the reward.

“We don’t care if you’re a convicted felon, if you’re a person with a warrant out for your arrest or a drug addict,” said an unnamed spokesman for the group in a video. “You lead us to Sherri, we give you more money than you can spend.”

The message was in stark contrast from that of authorities who were spending time focusing on her husband, who initiated the case.

However, Keith Papini successfully passed a lie-detector test and his statement of being at work during the kidnapping was confirmed to be true according to the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials have said they are in search of two female suspects in relation to the kidnapping. The women, believed to be Hispanic, were last seen traveling in a dark SUV and officials believe they are in possession of a handgun.

The $100,000 reward has since been taken off the table with the safe return of Papini. However, the sheriff’s office has posted a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the the arrest of Papini’s abductors.